GM to build new SUV in Mexico

New York (AFP) – General Motors confirmed Friday that it will produce a new sport-utility model in Mexico, despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to pressure US companies to add manufacturing at home.

The new version of the Chevrolet Blazer, a revival of an old brand name, will be built in Mexico and exported to the US, said GM spokesman Patrick Morrissey.

Morrissey said GM makes decisions on where vehicles will be made “years in advance.”

“This decision was made several years ago and was based on available capacity at the time,” Morrissey said. “We remain committed to investing and growing jobs in the US.”

The move comes as the US, Canada and Mexico remain mired in tough negotiations over a rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump has an extensive record of calling out companies that manufacture overseas and export to the US.

Morrissey said GM was “committed to working with the administration on a modernized NAFTA.”

GM has described the Blazer as a midsized SUV, a market that has surged in recent years with lower gasoline prices. GM said the car would be available in early 2019.